cynara

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES www.cynaradevelopment.com RESPONSE TO RFI SOLICITATION 1901-001 GENDER-BASED ANALYSIS CITY OF SAN JOSE

Cynara Development Services is pleased to submit this TO Sabrina Parra-Garcia response to the Gender-Based Analysis RFI released by Executive Analyst City of San José the City of San Jose. We are a team of consultants who 200 E. Santa Clara St. San José, CA have worked on gender-based analyses with an 95113 intersectional lens globally and with city governments in Telephone: (408) 535-8171 the United States. [email protected] We believe the City of San Jose has a unique opportunity FROM to learn from gender analysis methodologies applied Lindsey Jones-Renaud across the globe using international women’s rights and Owner and Principal Consultant Cynara Development Services frameworks. Equally important are Washington DC, USA grassroots efforts here in the United States, including [email protected] groups like the LGBTQ Youth Space in San Jose as well as +1 (202) 286-8711 the organization Collective Action for Safe Spaces in Washington DC. Their insights and experiences on how

local government can use gender-based research to DATE February 15, 2019 center the needs and issues identified by the most marginalized gender identity groups are essential to making a gender analysis impactful. Enclosed please find our response as requested in Section 6 of the RFI. We hope that this information will be useful to you and we look forward to learning more about the City’s process of implementing the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

1 Section 1: Background information Cynara Development Services is a -owned small business that helps non-profits, philanthropists, and public agencies improve their social impact and operationalize their commitments to equality and human rights. Specializing in gender equality, we offer services in applied gender analysis research, strategic planning, gender equality trainings, and planning workshops. Based in Washington DC, Cynara Development Services works internationally, nationally, and locally. Founder and principal consultant, Lindsey Jones-Renaud, has developed methodologies for and led gender-based analyses for international organizations and government agencies implementing CEDAW principles, including the US Agency for International Development, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Danish Refugee Committee. She has worked with and supported grassroots organizations like the DC Abortion Fund and Empower DC to develop strategies and advocate for inclusive and equitable government policies and programs. Lindsey identifies as a woman who is white, American, straight and cisgender. She is joined by Erin Gar-Yun Andriamahefa, an independent consultant based in Washington D.C. who has supported gender analyses for international non-governmental organizations. She identifies as a queer, Malagasy, Chinese, second generation, womxn of color. She is the Data Director for Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS), a grassroots organization that uses comprehensive, community-based solutions through an intersectional lens to eliminate public gendered harassment and assault in the DC metropolitan area. As the Data Director for CASS, she supported the development of the survey instrument that will be used to collect citywide data on street harassment under the newly passed Street Harassment Prevention Act through the DC Council. Alba Bautisa is a consultant with Cynara Development Services who works in Los Angeles for First 5 LA, leading new partnership initiatives to improve services for young children and their families. Alba is an expert on gender disaggregated data initiatives; she worked at the United Nations Foundation as a senior program officer for Data2X, where she managed cross-sector research partnerships to demonstrate how better data on women and girls can guide gender equality policies. She is a Mexican-American woman who is straight and cisgender. We are committed to collaborating with local partners who represent a diversity of backgrounds and experiences in San Jose because their voices and insights are essential to the success of the San Jose’s intersectional gender analysis. For example, we are in contact with the LGBTQ Youth Space, which is community drop-in center and mental health program for lesbian, gay, bisexual, , queer, questioning and ally youth and young adults in Santa Clara County. We encourage the City to include groups like the LGBTQ Youth Space in your research, consultative and decision-making processes as you implement a gender-based analysis and other elements of the Women’s Bill of Rights. Section 2: Scope, proposed methodology, and impact i. What would you prioritize if limited by resources (time, money, available data)?

2 We recommend developing a methodology for conducting a gender-based analysis that city departments would be able to apply to their department – and piloting it on a select number of departments. An intersectional gender-based analysis should include quantitative and qualitative research on the following: o Status: The relative status of non-binary people, women, and men in San Jose on key indicators related to the department’s work o Representation: The extent to which non-binary people, women, and men are represented in city government as employees, in leadership and management positions, and as recipients of grants and contracts through city procurement processes o Access to resources and opportunities: The extent to which women, men, and non- binary people access and use the city department’s services and programs. o Impact and benefit: The relative impact of city department’s services and programs on men, women, and non-binary people. On all of the above, an intersectional lens requires that the analysis looks not only at comparisons between men, women, and non-binary people, but also within these gender categories disaggregated by additional intersecting identities including but not limited to race, level of poverty, and ability. Further, it should analyze the extent to which city operations, programs and services are contributing to greater equality between and within genders. In the process of reviewing and compiling these data, we will analyze the availability of and ease of access to data disaggregated by gender, including non-binary and transgender identities. ii. How would you collect information and what data would you expect to result? We propose collecting information by piloting the methodology by focusing on two or three sectors and their corresponding departments. Using an intersectional lens, the gender analysis should focus on sectors that correspond to the most pressing issues and need identified by the most marginalized gender identity groups. According to the LGBTQ Youth Space as well as our experience with CASS, public safety and housing are the two priority issues for transgender and transfeminine people in San Jose, especially people of color. Therefore, the city could begin by piloting a gender-based analysis using an intersectional lens in the public safety and housing sectors. Other priority sectors could be healthcare and economic development. Quantitative data can first be compiled from existing data: human resource data, procurement data, existing surveys and censuses that have disaggregated data. Data should be benchmarked against national or other comparable data, to further understand the implications of the findings. Based on that, the consultant and city can determine what additional data needs to be collected, such as through a citywide street and public transportation harassment survey. There should also be a qualitative consultative process – using focus groups and key informant interviews – with civil society and the public to understand layers of nuance in how gender influences and is influenced by the city department’s services and operations and its equitable impact on residents.

3 Local organizations led by marginalized gender identities, especially those led by queer, trans, and non-binary people of color, would not only be informants, but should be involved in the development of methodological tools and be compensated – perhaps through a grant program – for their work. iii. How would you recommend data be organized and stored that is collected? This will depend on the data systems that the City of San Jose currently uses. To the extent possible, you will eventually want to set up a data portal that is integrated with databases/portals already in place. In the meantime, we recommend setting up a webpage where data and information can be shared via downloadable reports and, in some cases, spreadsheets. iv. How do you recommend government take steps to implement findings and make continuous improvement? The gender-based analysis should be a form of applied research, meaning that it results in findings as well as specific recommendations for concrete actions each department can take. This will require the presentation of findings and results in consultative sessions with stakeholders internal to the city department (i.e., staff and leadership) and external (i.e., civil society organizations) to analyze the implications and formulate recommendations for making continuous improvement. The Minimum Standards for Mainstreaming Gender Equality is also a useful basis for taking action, although it lacks an intersectional lens. The City of San Jose could build on it through consultative partnerships with grassroots organizations. There are also lessons to be learned from the Washington DC Street Harassment Prevention Act of 2018 (SHPA), which includes training for all DC employees to recognize and respond to street harassment, the establishment of the first definition of street harassment that includes protections for the 19 identities covered under the DC Human Rights Act, a citywide public awareness campaign, and establishing a committee of community representatives and DC agency representatives to steward SHPA’s implementation and track progress. v. Are there previous government gender analyses you would model?

There are several different models that can be used. First, the Gender Analysis of San Francisco Commission and Boards is a useful guide. There are a number of gender analyses and other resources available on the website Cities for CEDAW (http://citiesforcedaw.org/resources/). Because CEDAW was born out of global women’s rights advocacy, there are several international resources and models for gender analysis. It is important to note however that because CEDAW also largely lacked an intersectional lens, especially with regards to non-binary gender identities, these manuals and frameworks are often also devoid of . Examples of these resources include: o InterAction Gender Audit

4 o Introduction to Gender Analysis and Integration from the Interagency Gender Working Group o Overseas Development Institute: An Introduction to Gender Analysis Methodology o USAID: Integrating Gender Equality and Female Empowerment in USAID’s Program Cycle o Good Practices Framework: Gender Analysis by CARE International o Gender Analysis, Assessment, and Audit Manual and Toolkit by ACDI/VOCA In addition, Washington DC has done a number of useful surveys that could be models for intersectional, gender-based analysis on the status of men, women, and non-binary people in certain sectors, particularly public safety and street harassment. The Council of the District of Columbia recently passed the Street Harassment Prevention Act of 2018 (SHPA). With SHPA in effect, DC will be the first U.S. city to collect citywide data on street harassment — allowing advocates and government leaders to better understand the problem and the ways it impacts different communities in DC. The city-wide survey will capture experiences in the DC metro area with unwanted sexual, homophobic, and/or sexist harassment by strangers in public space to better understand the extent of the problem and the ways it impacts DC’s most marginalized communities. The Philippines is also a useful case study. The government passed a law in 1997 stating that 5% of all government department budgets be spent on gender equality and women’s rights. As a result, many departments have ongoing relationships with gender equality organizations who support them with gender analysis and implementation of findings. More information about how the Philippines implements these analyses and programs can be found on the Philippines Commission on Women website: https://www.pcw.gov.ph/ vi. Are you familiar with government RFPs for gender analysis that clearly explain expectations and could you share them with us? There are a number of examples, although the RFP will largely depend on the scope of the assignment. • Request for Proposals: Development of Nepal’s Country Gender Equality Strategy • Funding Opportunity Announcement: Research on the Health of Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Populations • ADVANCE: Organizational Change for Gender Equity in STEM Academic Professions • Métis Nation of Ontario Request for Proposals: Gender based analysis on Métis Employment and Education vii. What budget would you find prudent for this work (please substantiate with examples from past work, yours or others). The cost to conduct the gender-based analysis will vary based on the proposed sample size, disaggregation and methodology. To conduct the citywide survey on street harassment with the DC Council, CASS solicited quotes from various research firms based on the survey instrument that was developed. Methodology Sample Size Cost In-person interviews 200 $28,000

5 Online Survey 400-1000 $18,000-28,000 Mobile Survey 500 $22,000 Focus Groups 2-3 groups, 10 participants each $22,100-28,000 group

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